Honey Oat Muffins

Breakfast was once a meal I mostly skipped, but now I can’t go without it.  Most mornings, I’m fine with cereal, toast or a smoothie.  Other mornings, though, I want something more.  That’s where recipes like this one come in.  Made with ingredients I already had on hand, these muffins were simple and delicious.  Sure, they are more involved than pouring a bowl of cereal, but not so involved that you can’t make them on a lazy weekend morning when you’re barely awake.

This recipe was created by Spike Mendelsohn for an article in Food and Wine about healthy eating.  I recently tried out another recipe from that article, the Mexican Pizza I posted last month.  Since I had so much success with that, I knew I had to give these healthy muffins a try.  This is the first time I’ve made anything that was sweetened only with honey, and I’m quite happy with the results – muffins that are not too sweet, but still have tons of flavor.  I loved the texture the rolled oats provided, and I’ll definitely be looking for ways to incorporate them in other muffin recipes.

Honey Oat Muffins
Ingredients:
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375º.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
-In a large bowl, mix together oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
-In another bowl, whisk together honey, buttermilk, canola and eggs.  Pour mixture into dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
-Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan.  Sprinkle with more oats, if desired.
-Bake for 15-18 minutes, until muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.
-Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Adapted from Spike Mendelsohn, Food and Wine, July 2010